Yoast SEO assessment: Keyphrase in title

What does the keyphrase in title assessment do?

The keyphrase in title assessment checks if you have used your keyphrase in the SEO title of your post or page. Preferably, you add your focus keyphrase to the beginning of the title because this makes it instantly clear what your post is about. If you use function words like “the”, “on” or “what” before your keyphrase in the title, it shouldn’t affect your score. The analysis will understand that you use your keyphrase at the beginning of your title. Furthermore, you should always try to use an exact match of your keyphrase in the SEO title.

Why are SEO titles important for SEO?

The page title is one of the most important parts of SEO. Your page title is the first thing people see from your site — and often the only thing. It is also one of the first things search engines look at to determine what your post is about. If you want your post to rank for a specific focus keyphrase you should try and place your focus keyphrase early in the title so you make it clear what your post is about. Not having a title with your focus keyphrase makes it a lot harder to rank your post and to get people to click your search result. You should, therefore, put a lot of effort into making it descriptive, attractive and enticing.

Do you want to improve your SEO titles?

Writing perfect headlines for posts and pages is almost an art form, but practice makes perfect. Google says you should choose a title that reads naturally and effectively communicates the topic of the page’s content. It shouldn’t be too long or too short. See what your competitors are doing and try to determine a better angle for your title — no need to use a title like everyone else, right? Try to keep it original, focused and clear while adding your focus keyphrase in the right place. Keep it natural, though, and no spamming keywords. It is also a good idea to add your brand name so people can identify your posts more easily.